The Designated Beneficiary Agreement Act was passed last month in the state House of Representatives and the Senate. The new law, which will take effect on July 1, will permit any two people - regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity - to enter into designated beneficiary agreements that confer specific legal rights and responsibilities, including the right to receive state employee pension benefits, the right to make medical decisions for an incapacitated partner, and the right to inherit if a partner dies without a will.

This is great, because there are people who aren't married who should have these rights. It's not just LGBT people (although it includes LGBT people), but also elderly couples who are worried about losing Social Security benefits if they remarry and people in relationships that they aren't ready or will never want to call a marriage (like close friends, for example).

Of course, Republicans are being tools about this in Colorado:

During debate on the bill, Sen. Scott Renfroe (R) quoted from the Bible and called homosexuality an "offense to God."

"When we create laws that go against biblically what we are supposed to stand for, we are allowing to go forward a sin," Renfroe said on the Senate floor.

"We are taking sins and making them to be legally OK. That is wrong. I'm not saying this is the only sin out there. We have murder. ... We don't make laws making murder legal."

That's right. DP registers are the equivalent of murder. And we're supposed to try to work with these people?

This is a great move for everyone in Colorado, gay, straight, or bi. There's no reason that the states with same-sex marriage can't also have registries like this one, so, in some ways, that puts Colorado ahead of the relationship-recognition game.

Leave a comment

We want to know your opinion on this issue! While arguing about an opinion or idea is encouraged, personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please be respectful of others.

The editorial team will delete a comment that is off-topic, abusive, exceptionally incoherent, includes a slur or is soliciting and/or advertising. Repeated violations of the policy will result in revocation of your user account. Please keep in mind that this is our online home; ill-mannered house guests will be shown the door.